How Posting on Social Media Can Affect Your Personal Injury Claim

Posted By Twiggs, Strickland & Rabenau || 2-Aug-2017

For many of us, social media plays a major part in our lives and how we
connect to friends, family, and acquaintances. The very nature of it encourages
us to overshare every detail of our lives, from pictures of our pets or
well-crafted meals to our deepest thoughts and daily activities. It is
an online diary that is anything but private. While this generally has
no impact on most, if you are in the midst of a personal injury claim,
it can be detrimental, providing a treasure trove of evidence that the
opposition can use against you.

Here is what you need to know about the effect of social media on your
personal injury claim:

A defense team will use it as evidence to refute your claim: You filed a personal injury claim because the injuries you sustained,
which were caused by someone else’s negligence, are negatively impacting
your life and you need to be compensated for it. The defense will look
to many sources for evidence that your life has not been as affected as
you claim it to be. If you use social media, you are making it rather
easy for them to collect evidence that can potentially undermine your
claims. A simple picture of you being happy can be taken out of context.

If you make negative posts about the defendant it can backfire: Being injured as a result of someone’s reckless behavior is frustrating
and you might rightfully be angry, but venting on social media is not
the answer to your problems. In fact, it will make you seem sue happy.
Your angry attitude will be used by the defense to make you appear bitter
or unhinged.

Until your case reaches a resolution, it is best to err on the side of
caution and refrain from logging into social media.

Durham Personal Injury Attorneys

At Twiggs, Strickland & Rabenau, we understand the challenges injured
victims face and are here to serve as your legal advocate and fight for
your right to just compensation.